Friday, August 24, 2012

Tracey Hinton: 6th Paralympic Games

London will be Traceys Hinton’s sixth Paralympic games. At the age of 42, ParalympicsGB's women's captain shows no signs of slowing down, in fact her times are getting quicker. With just days to go until the Paralympics kick off, she recalls the moment she got the phone call she had been selected for London.

Tracey Hinton: Welsh Paralympic sprinter

I was really nervous waiting for the phone call, I was in work, when the phone call came at 1.55pm. Peter Errikson rung me and said, ‘Congratulations Tracey you have been selected for the 100m and 200m.'

Even though its my sixth games, the excitement is still the same.

In reality I would like to medal in both events but a medal is a bonus and I am just thrilled to going to London. I am currently ranked fourth in the world in the 200meteres and fifth in the 100metres, as well as taking gold recently in the Europeans, so I have high hopes.

I’ve trained incredibly hard and I love training and competing and the buzz that comes with it. I hate not training. When I was injured last year for four months, I still trained everyday in the gym. Being motivated doesn't come in to it, this is just my life.

I run with a guide runner called Steffan. We have known each other for 10 years and we have a great relationship, it’s important that we have a good relationship on and off the track.

We have to work extremely hard to ensure we have the best technique possible. Steffen is my eyes, he guides me round the bends and keeps me in the correct lane. 

Without Steffan, I wouldn’t have achieved what I have this year, his job doesn’t end of the track, he helps me in so many ways.

Follow Tracey on Twitter @TraceyHinton100 and her guide runner Steffan @SteffRhughes.

Check out the Disability Sport Wales website and follow them on Twitter @dsw_news for all the latest disability sport news across Wales and at the London 2012 Paralympics.